Block for machines for forming the ends of cartons.



I No. 733,509. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

Q G. REDD.

BLOCK FOB. MACHINES FOR FORMING THE ENDS 0P GARTONS..

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.10, 1902.

no 110mm. .3 SHEBTS'SHEET L "rm: uoams PErzas 00.. Pncrruumou msnmmun, n. c,

PATENTBD JULY 14, 1903.

0. REDD. BLOCK FOR MACHINES FOR FORMING THE ENDS 0P GARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10 19 02.

In 1 .2- E

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2v EM q mz-uoams PEI'ERS co. PHOTU'UTHO wAsnmGTON, u, c

No. 733,509. PATENTED JULY 14, 19.03.

0. 1mm). I BLOCK FOR MACHINES FOR FORMING THE ENDS OF GARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1902.

NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m MN M I kms vsrzns ca, Pnoraumo wAsnmm'cn a c items STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLIE REDD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ISAAC PIESER AND CHARLES G. LIVINGSTON,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLOCK FOR MACHINES FOR FORMINGTHE ENDS OF CARTONS.

SEECIFICATIGN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 733,509, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed November 10, 1902. Serial No. 130,663. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE REDD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blocks for Machines for Forming the Ends of Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in blocks for machines for forming the ends of cartons; and its object is to produce a device of this class which shall perform its function in a more satisfactory manner and which will enable a greater number of cartons to be produced in agiven length of time.

To these and certain minor ends my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, which are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plain view of a machine for forming the ends of cartons, the greater part of the operating mechanism being broken away in order to show the conveyer and the blocks. Fig. 2 is a section in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a section in the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. through one of the blocks, Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the blocks looking from the side opposite to its point of attachment to the conveyor-chain. Fig. 5 is a section in the line 5 5 of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a section in the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a section in the line 7 7 of Fig. 2 looking downward.

In the. aforesaid drawings, A is the frame of the machine, having sprockets a, driven by any suitable mechanism. A conveyor-chain 13 passes over these sprockets, and to this chain are attached carton-carrying blocks. The construction of the blocks will now be described.

To a link Z) of the conveyer-chain B is socured a frame C, made in the form of a hol-v low box, the bottom of which projects laterally to form a shelf C. To this shelf C is secured a metal plate D, to which in turn are secured four members E E E E, which together form a hollow rectangular block vertically disposed with reference to the bed of the entire machine and separated from the frame C by a slight space, as will be seen from Figs. 2 and 3. The purpose of leaving this space between the hollow rectangular block and the frames C is to permit a carton when slipped over the block to pass down between the block and the adjacent portions of the frames C. The frames C travel in rails or guides a a in their course around the machine, said guides serving to properly position the blocks with respect to the devices for gluing and folding the ends of. the cartons. Thesedevicesforgluingandfoldingthe ends of the carton are not shown in the drawings, except diagrammatically, for the reason that many forms of these devices are old and well known, and the particular form of any of them is immaterial to this invention. The portion of the machine through which the carton passes while these operations are taking place is commonly called the operatingtrough, and it contains mechanism for folding the top flaps of the carton, gluing them, and holding them in position until the glue is set. The particular form of operating-troughv with which I have used my improved block is shown and fully described in my application on end-closing machines for paper boxes filed 5 April 12, 1901, Serial No. 55,457; but I do not consider this particular mechanism essential to this invention. The guide ct is beveled at the place where the cartons are slipped upon the blocks, as shown at a, to insure the proper positioning of the cartons upon the blocks. The outer ends of the plates D rest upon a third rail a", which is continued around the sprockets by curved portions a Movable shoulders or stops 6 are provided upon the blocks to receive the lower end of the cartons and hold them at the proper height. Up to this point little has been set forth to diiferentiate this carton-block from any other. With the use, however, ofthe ordinary solid or hollow rectangular block it is found that if the block is made of exactly the right size to fit the interior of the carton the cartons cannot he slipped into place readily enough to produce a satisfactory output. On the other hand, if the blocks are made sufficiently smaller than the cartons to enable them to be readily and quickly slipped into place the cartons turned ICO out by the machine are irregular and imperfect. To remedy these defects, I have devised this block, which when the carton is placed uponitissmallenoughtoreceiveitreadily,but which subsequently expands to fit the carton. It is only necesary to produce the desired ef feet that the block be expanded in one direction and in a comparatively small area. The means by which this expansion of the block is accomplished will now be described.

The upper part of the member F. of the hollow rectangular box heretofore described is cut away in its upper portion, as seen in Fig. 2, and a hollow box F is secured to the members E E by screwsfand is normally held close against the body of the block by springs f, compressed between the head of the screwf and the bottom of the hollow box F. This structure is clearly indicated and will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 5 and 6. A shaft G is journaled on the inside of the hollow carton-block and extends longitudinally thereof, Fig. '5. This shaft bears on its upper end an arm G, which is adapted when the, shaft is turned in the proper direction to come in contact with the hollow box F and force it against the pressure of the spring f away from the center of the carton-blocks. The shaft G bears on its lower end a forked member H, having two arms 71 h. Cams I 1 are provided on the frame of the machine, adapted to engage the arms h h as the blocks pass them on their course about the machine. The cam I is so arranged that it comes in contact with the arm it, rotates the shaft to the right, and thereby throws the arm G against the box F, thereby forcing the box outward, expanding the block. It will be noted that the arm G is so arranged that when the shaft is rotated in the direction of the arrow from the position shown in Fig. 6 the arm will push the box F out as far as possible and there lock. The box F will remain in this position until the arm 71 comes into engagement with the cam I, when the reverse operation will take place-that is, the shaft will be rotated to the left and the arm G will be released from its locked position, permitting the box F to be pushed in by the spring f and closed against the body of the carton-block.

The operation of the device will now be readily apparent. The cartons are placed upon the blocks previous to the time when they reach the cam I. The size of the block andrapidlyslippedoverit. Subsequentlythe is then such that the cartons can be quickly arm 71. comes into engagement with the cam I and throws the box F out, thereby holding the carton firmly in place. Then the carton reaches the second cam I, the reverse takes place. The arm h is engaged by the cam.

The shaft G is thereby rotated, and the arm G releases the box F and so reduces the size of the carton-block, permitting the ready removal of the carton after the gluing and folding operations. It is to be understood that the folding and gluing operations take place while the block is expanded.

I realize that considerable variations can be made in the details of this construction, and I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific form described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an operating-trough, of a conveyer, a hollow block attached thereto havinga recess'in one ofits sides, a memberlet into said recess, a shaft pivoted in the hollow of said block, a rotatable arm secured to said shaft and adapted, when said shaft is rotated, to force said member outward from the recess, a second arm on said shaft, a suitable cam in the path of the block adapted to engage said arm to rotate said shaft and force said member outward from the recess, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an operating-trough, of a conveyer, a hollow block attached thereto having a recess in one of its sides, a member within said recess, a shaft, a rotatable arm on said shaft adapted, when said shaft is rotated, to force said member out from the recess and lock the same in place, means located adjacentto the path of said block to rotate said shaft in one direction to force said member out from the recess and means located at another point adjacent to the path of said block adapted to rotate said shaft in the opposite direction to permit said member to enter the recess, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with an operating-trough, of a suitable conveyer, a hollow block attached thereto having a recess in one of its sides, a member within said recess, a shaft pivoted within said block, an arm on said shaft adapted to come into contact with said member to force it from said recess, two other rotatable arms on said shaft, a suitable cam adjacent to the path of the block adapted to engage one of said arms to rotate said shaft in one direction and a second cam adapted to engage the other of said arms to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction, substantially as de scribed.

In witness whereof I have signed the above application for Letters Patent, at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, this 1st day of November, A. D. 1902.

CHARLIE REDD.

Witnesses: 1

ANDREW GILRUTH, W. A. WILLETT. 

